The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim A.A. Khan, has announced the appointment of new special advisers: Judge Sanji Mmasenono Monageng – special adviser without portfolio (bio) and Evelyn Ama Ankumah, special adviser without portfolio (bio).
The appointment of special advisers is intended to create a network of experts representing different regions of the world with cultural, linguistic, and gender diversity.
Their specific expertise reinforces the Office of the Prosecutor’s capabilities to effectively and efficiently discharge its mandate under the Statute and to strengthen specialisation on a wide range of issues and priority areas identified by the Prosecutor.
“I am delighted to welcome Judge Monageng and Evelyn Ankumah to the roster of Special Advisers, whose expertise will significantly enhance the Office’s work on critical issues.
“Their involvement will undoubtedly provide tremendous benefits to our Rome Statute stakeholders and staff. I deeply appreciate their generosity in offering their time, extensive experience, and valuable insights,” stated Khan.
Monageng is an international expert with over 30 years of experience in law and human rights. She has been the Botswana High Commissioner to South Africa since November 2022 and has served as president of the Southern African Development Community Administrative Tribunal (SADCAT) until 2024.
Monageng was also an ICC Judge from 2009 to 2018, holding roles such as Appeals Division Judge and First Vice President. She has served as a judge in Eswatini and The Gambia as chairperson of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
She has received numerous accolades, including an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Botswana and the Human Rights Award from the International Association of Women Judges in 2014. Monageng is also an experienced lecturer.
Ankumah is a prominent lawyer, human rights advocate and founder of Africa Legal Aid (AFLA). With legal experience across Africa, Europe and North America, she has led initiatives promoting gender-sensitive and victim-centred approaches to international criminal justice.
Ankumah holds a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from William Mitchell College of Law and an Advanced Diploma in human rights from the International Institute of Human Rights. She was a Research Fellow at the Maastricht University and authored a groundbreaking book on the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Ankumah shaped key legal frameworks for international justice, including the Review of the Kampala Amendments on the Crime of Aggression, and she leads the Gender Mentoring Training Programme for Judges. Her advocacy also helped establish the International Criminal Court Bar Association (ICCBA).
Ankumah has received multiple accolades, including joining the International Gender Champions Network in 2020. As editor and author, she has published six books and over forty editions of the AFLA Quarterly journal, continuing to drive global efforts for justice, accountability and human rights.
Special Advisers to the prosecutor are persons with outstanding professional credentials and expertise in their fields. They advise the prosecutor within their respective mandates as Special Advisers and may assist in the Office’s training initiatives.
They work pro bono, are required to sign a confidentiality agreement, and are bound by the ‘Standards of Conduct’ stipulated in, inter alia, Annex I to Administrative Instruction ICC/AI/2016/002.
